Haaland ‘asks’ Man City to negotiate with Barcelona after Guardiola decides to ‘resign’
Erling Haaland has asked Man City to consider proposals from Barcelona and other elite sides in the summer, according to reports.
The Citizens brought the Norway international to the Etihad Stadium in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund and Haaland has been nothing short of a revelation since.
Haaland has scored an incredible 154 goals in 188 matches for Man City with 30 of those coming in all competitions this season, including 22 in the Premier League.
There have been rumours over the past couple of seasons that Haaland could move to Real Madrid or Barcelona in the future after making it clear that he’d like to play in La Liga in the future.
Reports in Spain are now claiming that Haaland, who is going through a bit of a dry spell with just five goals in his last 19 matches in all competitions, has ‘asked Man City to negotiate with Barcelona’.
It is understood that Haaland ‘is now seriously considering leaving’ the Etihad Stadium after Man City were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
READ: Haaland must be dropped after least convincing Guardiola U-turn imaginable
Man City look more unlikely to win the Premier League by the week with Arsenal nine points ahead of the Citizens, although Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand.
Haaland is frustrated that Man City could end a second year in a row without a major trophy, while it is claimed that Guardiola has ‘already made the decision to resign this summer’.
The 25-year-old is ‘deeply disappointed with the project’ and Haaland has ‘changed his mind’ on definitely staying another year at Man City.
Haaland ‘has asked the board to consider all proposals they receive soon’ with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich all suitors, while Man City ‘might consider selling him in order to sign a new striker’.
A week ago, Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta revealed that, despite their respect for Barcelona, there has been no contact with the Catalan giants.
READ: Arsenal sixth as deepest Quadruple runs ever ranked, with sweary Guardiola in sight
Pimenta said: “I’ve often said we have a lot of respect and admiration for Barcelona.
“But there hasn’t been any contact whatsoever, either with Erling Haaland or with Barcelona’s management, regarding potential transfer targets.”
She added: “Also, because the player renewed his contract a few months ago, he’s very happy at Manchester City.
“Everything is going very well for him and we really have nothing to discuss about a transfer when everything is so good at Manchester City.”
Former Tottenham striker Jurgen Klinsmann recently branded Haaland’s first leg performance against Real Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League as “embarrassing”.
Klinsmann said: “Absolutely, it is embarrassing for him. It’s also embarrassing for the team because they didn’t deliver him anything to work with.
“You have to approach these kind of games with an old saying, ‘win your battles, win your game.’
“Man City pretty much lost every one-on-one battle. In the first half-hour, Real Madrid was all over them.”
Germany legend Klinsmann continued: “When you are a forward that really lives from the deliveries from the side or through the middle and you’re not getting anything, every minute you lose confidence.
“You lose your desire to fight your way through and it was just a really bad day at the office for Haaland.”
On Guardiola’s future, Fabrizio Romano revealed earlier this week: “Manchester City – as a club, as management, as ownership – are waiting for Pep Guardiola to decide.
“At the moment, according to my information, the situation is still open.”
